One-side film coating process



April 19, 1960 w. E. MCINTYRE, JR 2,933,417

ONE-SIDE FILM comma PROCESS Filed March 12, 1958 INVENTOR WILLIAM ERNEST MCINTYRE JR,

ATTORNEY ONE-SIDE FILM COATING PROCESS William Ernest McIntyre, In, Butialo, N.Y., assignor to E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application March 12, 1958, Serial No. 726,896

4 Claims. (Cl. 117-411) This invention relates to the coating of non-fibrous continuous webs and more particularly to the one-side coating ,of continuous non-fibrous webs (i.e., films) of hydrophobic, thermoplastic organic polymeric material with liquid coating compositions.

.Films prepared from hydrophobic resins, such as polyethylene terephthalate, find extensive use in a great many industrial applications by reason of their superior physical and chemical properties. It is often necessary, however, to apply coatings of other polymeric materials to one side of these films to impart additionally desired properties such as increased heat-scalability, moistu1'e proofness, etc. Many methods of imparting coatings to one side of these films are known to the art. Such methods usually involve the passage of the film in the form of a web through the nips of a set of closely spaced rolls consisting of an applicator roll, partially immersed in a dip pan containing the coating solution or dispersion and a metering roll. The amount of coating applied is controlled by the distance between the nips of the two rolls. The coating is then redistributed uniformly by means of smoothing rolls. This method and other such methods involving similar technology, however, experience severe drawbacks, When one attempts to utilize such methods, for example, in the one-side coating of films utilizing an aqueous dispersion of coating ingredients, and particularly low viscosity aqueous dispersion (1015 centipoises), several undesirable eifects are likely to be encountered. Among these are (1) runback of dispersion occurring in the nip of the rolls causing excess dispersion to be picked up on the edges of the dry side of the film from the metering roll, thereby necessitating subsequent trimming of the coated film to eliminate the two-side coated edges with resultant waste of film, (2) transfer of coating dispersion from the applicator roll to the metering roll causing coating to be applied to the dry side of the film, (3) build-up of dried polymer on the edges of the metering roll thereby causing the rolls to be forced apart, and in doing so causing excess coating to be applied to the filrn, (4) build-up of dried polymer on the smoothing rolls resulting in the smoothing rolls exerting a drag on the film, and (5) undesirable foaming at the nip of the rolls.

An object of this invention, therefore, is to provide an improved process for the one-side coating of continuous non-fibrous webs of hydrophobic, thermoplastic organic polymeric material. Another object is to provide an improved process for the one-side coating of a continuous film of polyethylene terephthalate. Still anthe center, forming a. tubular configurationv 2,933,417 Patented Apr. 19, 1960 other object is to provide an improved process for the one-side coating of polyethylene terephthalate film and like hydrophobic, thermoplastic organic polymeric film with aqueous dispersion coating compositions of low viscosity. These and other objects will more clearly appear from the description which follows.

The foregoing objects are realized by the present invention which, briefly stated, comprises tangentially contacting one surface on a continuous non-fibrous web of hydrophobic thermoplastic organic polymeric material, e.g., polyethylene terephthalate film, advancing at a uniform predetermined linear speed, with a rotating cylindrical surface carrying at the point of tangency a predetermined thickness (measured amount) of an aqueous dispersion coating composition having a viscosity of not greater than centipoises, said cylindrical surface being rotated in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the advancing web and at a constant peripheral speed of from 15% to 50% greater than the linear speed of said advancing web, whereby a uniform layer of the coating composition is deposited on said web surface. I

In the description of examples to follow, particular emphasis will be placed on the coating of polyethylene terephthalate film from low viscosity aqueous dispersions of polymeric materials. It is to be understood, however, that this process is applicable to any film prepared from a hydrophobic organic thermoplastic polymeric resin such as copolymers of acrylonitrile and vinyl chloride, polyvinyl chloride, copolymers of vinyl chloride and a vinyl ester of a lower fatty acid ester or of acrylic or alpha-methacrylic acid, polystyrenes, polyamides, polyacrylonitriles, copolymers of acrylonitrile with vinyl acetate and with vinylidene chloride and organic derivatives of cellulose such as cellulose acetate and the acetatenitro-Z-rnethylpropyl methacrylate and the corresponding esters of acrylic acid; methyl alpha-chloroacrylate, octyl alpha-chloroacrylate, methyl isopropenyl ketone, acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile, methyl vinyl ketone, vinyl chloride, vinyl acetate, vinyl propionate, vinyl chloroacetate, vinyl bromide, styrene, vinyl naphthalene, ethyl vinyl ether, N-vinyl phthalimide, N-vinyl succinimide, N-vinyl carbazole, isopropenyl acetate, acrylamide, methacrylamide or monoalkyl substitution products thereof, phenyl vinyl ketone, diethyl fumarate, diethyl maleate, methylene diethyl malonate, diohlorovinylidene fluoride, di-

methyl itaconate, diethyl itaconate, dibutyl itaconate,

vinyl pyridine, maleic anhydride, allyl glycidyl ether and Hydr0phl1le films such as regenerated cellulose do not adapt themselves to one-side coating from aqueous dispersions because of the tendency of such films to rapidly absorb water and in doing so the edges of the uncoated side curl toward of the formula H X2 j j X1 X3 wherein X X and X are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxy, alkyl, alkoxy and halogen. The preferred substituted benzophenone derivatives include 2,2',4,4' tetrahydroxybenzophenone 2,2 dimethoxy-4,4 dihydroxy benzophenone, 2 hydroxy-4- methoxybenzophenone, 2,2-dihydroxy 4 methoxy-4'- ethoxybenzophenone, 2-hydroxy 4 pentadecylbenzophenone, and dibenzyl resorcinol.

A preferred embodiment of the process of this invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein the single figure is a schematic view illustrating a preferred arrangement of apparatus for carrying out the process.

Referring to the drawing: The continuous non-fibrous web (film) l to be treated passes under uniform tension from the unwind rolls (not shown) as aflat sheet beneath (or over) a set of rolls 2 at a uniform speed in the range of from 30-600 feet/minute. These rolls Which may be either spreader rolls or common idler rolls, serve to flatten out the film, thus materially eliminating loosely Wound mill rolls and other base film defects. After passing under the rolls 2 the film contacts an applicator roll 3 located at a distance of from 8-12 inches from the nearest of rolls 2 and partially immersed in a coating bath 4 containing the aqueous dispersion coating composition, at substantially a point of I tangency. The roll rotates at a peripheral speed of from -50%, preferably -25% greater than the linear speed of the film in a direction reverse to that of the advancing film. The film in coming in contact with this applicator roll picks up the aqueous dispersion coating composition. The amount of coating composition applied is preferably controlled by the clearance between the applicator doctor roll and a metering roll 5. 'lhe metering roll also dips into the coating bath and rotates at a speed substantially the same as that of the applicator roll and in an angular direction opposite to that of the applicator roll. By allowing the film to tangentially contact the applicator roll and by rotating this roll at a peripheral speed 15-50% greater than that of the advancing film, the film may be successfully coated without undesirable runback or build-up of dried coating on the applicator roll. If the peripheral speed of the applicator rolls is equal to or less than the film speed, almost all the coating dispersion is wiped from the roll by the film. This results in a rapid build-up of dried coating on the doctor roll. If the speed of the applicator roll is increased 15-50% above film speed, sufficient liquid coating (dispersion) is left on the roll to prevent coating build-up. The exact speed differential to be used depends on such factors as film tension, the amount of film wrap on the applicator roll (in contacting the film at substantiallya point of tangency the film willcome in contact from /2 inch to 1 inch of the roll surface), film speed, and the amount of coating being applied to the film. The coating weights which may be applied, to the film by the present process range from 01-20 grams/square meter of film surface. The preferred'amount of coating applied to the film ranges between 4 and 8 grams/square meter. After applying the coating material, the film is thenpassed through a series of smoothing rolls. The smoothing rolls 7 on the coated'side of the film are'run ina direction reverse to that of'the film andLat a, peripheral speed iii-100% of that of the film speed, preferably 15-80%. Under these conditions, coating thickness variations in the longitudinal direction are minimized and striations are more effectively removed from the coated film. The smoothing rolls 8 on the dry side of the advancing coated film are preferably rotated in the same direction as the film (because of the high film tension necessary) and at substantially the same speed. These smoothing rolls may be in a fixed state or allowed to idle, but good film appearance is more difiicult to obtain. .After passing through the smoothing rolls, the film passes through a drying tower (not shown) and thence is wound up.

The arrangement described above of an applicator roll and a metering roll both dipping into the coating dispersion and rotating at the same peripheral speed and in opposite angular directions is a critical feature of the in vention. I have found that low viscosity dispersions' of organic polymeric material (dispersions having a viscosity of not greater than centipoises) are shear unstable, i.e., the dispersions tend to break down when vsubjected to shearing forces such as are encountered in the nip of rolls moving in opposite linear directions at the nip, or moving at dilferent peripheral speeds. Consequently, it is essential that shearing forcesbe avoided, and this is accomplished according to the present invention by operating the applicator and the metering rolls at the same'peripheral speed and in opposite angular directions so that they'are operating in the same linear direction at the nip formed between the two rolls. Moreover, by dipping both rolls in the coating bath,

. they are continuously washed free of coating agglomerates 'or dried coating which would otherwise build up on the roll surface.

The following examples will further serve to illustrate the principles and practice of the present invention. Although in the examples to follow, particular emphasis will be placed on the top-coating of one side of a hydrophobic organic thermoplastic polymer film from aqueous dispersions of polymer, it should be emphasized that the method of coating outlined hereinbefore may also be successfully utilized for the application ofboth a suband/or top-coating of polymeric materials from low viscosity aqueous coating dispersions to such films.

EXAMPLES 1-42 In the following examples, oriented, heat-set polyethylene terephthalate film (0.0005 thick) was coated on one side with varying polymeric coating compositions utilizing the method and apparatus described hereinbefore. The film was conducted through the spreader roll at speeds of 30-530 feet/minute and was brought into contact with the applicator doctor roll at apoint of substantial tangency; coatings varying between 4-8 grams/square meter were applied to the film by adjusting the distance between the applicator roll and the metering roll (000025-0001 inch). In Examples l-S, the peripheral speed of the applicator roll was substantially the same as the film. In the remainder of the examples, the speeds of the applicator roll were varied between 19-50% in excess of that of the film-speed. After the coating was applied, the film was passed through a series of smoothing rolls in order to remove any striations formed in the application of the coating. The rolls on the dry side of the film were run at substantially the same speed as the film. The smoothing rolls on the coated side were run at speeds 15-75% that of the film speeds. The film was then passed through a conventional drying tower dried and Wound up.

Table I lists the dispersion compositions utilized, percent Table I-Continued Percent Solids -Example Dispersion Composition Additives Applicator Roll Speed (f. p. m.)

Smoothing Roll Film Speed (f. p. m.) Speed 1 Appearance (f. p. m.)

Coated Dry Side Side ens/31111 VClzlMA/AN/ MAA/IA.

94 s/3 1 1-vcn/MA/AN MAA/IA.

94/3/3/1/1-VCh/MA/AN/ MAA/IA.

94/3/3/1/l-VC12/MA/AN/ MAA/IA.

94/6/1-VClz/MA/IA 94/6/1-VC12/MA/IA 94/6/1-VCh/MA/IA 50 Geon" 126 Duponol Santomerse" 3 fDaxad' 11.-

.Duponol MIL- Santomerse 3.

Duponol ME. Santomerse 3 202 246 5. 2 Good.

105 140 32 V 5. 1' Do.

other.

9 "Geon l26-polyvinyl chloride (B. F. Goodrich 00.).

VClr-vinylidene chloride. M"A-methyl acrylate. IA-itaconlcacid. -AN-acrylonitrlle. MhA-'mcthacrylic acid. AGEHHYI glycidyl fl DuponoP' I\lEsodium.lauryl sulfate (E. I. du Pont de i emours & 00;). V "Santomerse 3-suriacc-active wetting agent-salt of a homologous series oi substituted aromatlc-s'ulfonlc acids (Monsanto Chemical 00.). Daxad 11-dlspersing agent-polymerized sodium salt of alkyl aryl sulfonic acids (Dewy dz Alrny Chemical 00.).

From Table I it can be seen that the coated polyethylene terephthalate films having varying coating weights possessing good appearance can be produced by the process of the present invention. The criticality of operating the applicator doctor roll at speeds of at least 15% or greater than the film speed (Examples 6-42) is clearly illustrated by comparison with Examples l-S, where film j composition comprising Z-ethylhexyl acrylate, acrylonitrile and itaconic acid. After drying the film, a copolymeric top-coating consisting of vinylidene-chloride, methyl acrylate, acrylonitrile, methacrylic acid and allyl glycidyl ether was applied to the film in the manner described hereinbefore. An excellent appearing film with enhanced physical properties was obtained. Table II lists the dispersion compositions used, the percent. solids of the coating composition, additives, film speeds, applicator doctor roll speeds, smoothing roll speeds, coating weight applied and the general appearance of-thefilm.

Table II ONE-SIDE COATING OF POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE FILM Sub-Coating Top-Coating 80% 2-ethyl hexyl aorylate 94% vin-ylidene chloride.

Dispersion Composition 20% acrylonltrile 6% methyl acrylate.

' 1% itaconic acid 2% itaconic acid.

Add 2.0% "Sulframin AB 0.5% Geon" 126. r es 2. Duponol ME 4.0% Duponol" ME. Film Speed (f.p.m.)- 45 3 45. 7 7 Applicator Roll Speed (f.p.m.) 60.

Smoothing Roll Speed (i.p.m.

1 Surface active wetting agent.

runback of the coating compositions around the edges of the 'uncoated side of the film encountered in conventional coating processes.

EXAMPLE 43 EXAMPLE 44 Oriented, heat-set polyethylene terephthalate film (0.001" thick) was coated on one side with a 6% by weight, aqueous dispersion of Uvinul D-49 (2,2'-dihydroxy-4,4'-dimethoxy benzophenoneAntara Chemir.

cals Division of General Aniline &"Film Corporation,

New York, New York), utilizing the method and apparatus described hereinbefore. The film Was'conducted through the spreader roll at a speed of 30 feet/minute, and was brought into contact'with the applicator roll at a point of substantial tangency. The applicator roll was rotated at a speed of 35 feet/minute. The distance between the applicator roll and the metering roll was set at 0.0005" thereby to apply 0.6 g./m. of coating on the surface of the film as in the previous examples. The film was then passed through a series of smoothing rolls in order to remove any striations formed in the application of the coating. The film was passed through a conventional drying tower. The resulting film exhibited a high degree of resistance to the degradative effects of ultraviolet light waves.

EXAMPLE 45 In the manner of Example 44, oriented, heat-set polyethylene terephthalate film (0.0005 thick) was coated with a 7% by weight aqueous dispersion of Uvinul D-49. The film was passed into contact with the applicator roll at a point of substantial tangency at a speed of feet/minute. The clearance between the metering roll and the applicator roll was set at 0.0005". The

applicator roll was rotated at a speed of 23 feet/minute.

After drying, the film was passed through the apparatus in an exactly similar fashion to coat the opposite side of the film. A total coating weight of 1.3 g./m. was thus applied to the film. The resulting two-side coated film exhibited excellent resistance to the effects of ultraviolet light. This process may also be used to successfully coat aqueous dispersions of polyethylene onto polyethylene terephthalate films.

The process of the present invention makes it possible to produce one-side coated hydrophobic organic thermoplastic polymeric film possessing excellent appearance. The resulting film coatings are clear, clean, uniform, free of unsightly striations, spotting and scratches. This process lends itself to high speed coating operations which are essentially free from objectionable build-up of dried coating composition on the doctor rolls, thereby eliminating costly shutdown for cleaning and resetting of the doctor rolls and from runback of the coating composition around the sides of theuncoated side of the film, thus materially cutting down film waste. This process in providing for smooth uniform coatings also minimizes the effect of uneven heat shrinkage of the film, which when dried results in unsightly distortions such as streaks.

I claim: e

1. A process for the continuous one-side coating of a continuous web which comprises partially submerging a rotating cylindrical surface rotating on a fixed axis in a bath of an aqueous dispersion coating composition having a viscosity of not greater than 100 centipoises to apply said coating composition to said surface; controlling the thickness of said coating composition by means of a second rotating cylindrical surface partially submerged in said bath and rotating in an angular direction opposite to the direction of the first named cylindrical surface on an axis parallel to the axis of said first named cylindrical surface and at substantially the same peripheral speed, said surfaces being spaced apart hydrophobic thermoplastic organic polymeric material,

advancing at a constant predetermined speed, with the rotating coated cylindrical surface carrying the controlled thickness of coating composition, said coated cylindrical surface rotating in a direction opposite that of the web and at a constant peripheral speed of from 15% to 50% greater than the speed of the Web whereby to apply a uniform coating of said coating composition to said web surface.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the hydrophobic thermoplastic organic polymeric material is: polyethylene terephthalate.

3. A process for the continuous one-side coating of a continuous web which comprises partially submerging a rotating cylindrical surface rotating on a fixed axis in a bath of an aqueous dispersion coating composition having a viscosity of no greater than centipoises to apply said coating composition to said surface; controlling the thickness of said coating composition by means of a second rotating cylindrical surface partially submerged in said bath and rotating in a direction opposite to the direction of the first named cylindrical surface on an axis parallel to the axis of said first named cylindrical surface and at substantially the same speed, said surfaces being spaced apart a distance equal to substantially twice the desired thickness of the coating; tangentially contacting one surface of a continuously advancing non-fibrous web of hydrophobic thermoplastic organic polymeric material, advancing at a constant predetermined speed, with the rotating coated cylindrical surface carrying the controlled thickness of coating composition, said coated cylindrical surface rotating in a direction opposite that of the web and at a constant peripheral speed of from 15% to 50% greater than the speed of the web whereby to apply a uniform coating of said coating composition to said web surface; and thereafter passing the coated surface of said web over at least one References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,851,761 Everett Mar. 29, 1932 1,933,963 Bradner Nov. 7, 1933 2,128,516 Graham Aug. 30, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS 783,335 France July 11, 1935 

1. A PROCESS FOR THE CONTINUOUS ONE-SIDE COATING OF A CONTINUOUS WEB WHICH COMPRISES PARTIALLY SUBMERGING A ROTATING CYLINDRICAL SURFACE ROTATING ON A FIXED AXIS IN A BATH OF AN AQUEOUS DISPERSION COATING COMPOSITION HAVING A VISCOSITY OF NOT GREATER THAN 100 CENTIPOISES TO APPLY SAID COATING COMPOSITION TO SAID SURFACE, CONTROLLING THE THICKNESS OF SAID COATING COMPOSITION BY MEANS OF A SECOND ROTATING CYLINDRICAL SURFACE PARTIALLY SUBMEERGED IN SAID BATH AND ROTATING IN AN ANGULAR DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO THE DIRECTIOM OF THE FIRST NAMED CYLINDRICAL SURFACE ON AN AXIS PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF SAID FIRST NAMED CYLINDRICAL SURFACE AND AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME PERIPHERAL SPEED SAID SURFACES BEING SPACED APART A DISTANCE EQUAL TO SUBSTANTIALLY TWICE THE DESIRED THICKNESS OF THE COATING, AND TANGENTIALLY CONTRACTING ONE SURFACE OF A CONTINUOUSLY ADVANCING NON-FIBROUS WEB OF HYDROPHOBIC THERMOPLASTIC ORGANIC POLYMERIC MATERIAL, ADVANCING AT A CONSTANT PREDETERMINED SPEED, WITH THE ROTATING COATED CYLINDRICAL SURFACE CARRYING THE CONTROLLED THICKNESS OF COATING COMPOSITION, SAID COATED CYLINDRICAL SURFACE ROATATING IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE THAT OF THE WEB AND AT A CONSTANT PERIPHERNAL SPEED OF FROM 15% TO 50% GREATER THAN THE SPEED OF THE WEB WHEREBY TO APPLY A UNIFORM COATING OF SAID COATING COMPOSITION TO SAID WEB SURFACE. 